


As a Selkie Loves the Sea, A Faery Loves the Forest

by heres_ur_ramen



Series: Monster AU [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Cute Yang Jeongin | I.N, Fairy Jeongin, Fluff, Gen, Hwang Hyunjin-centric, Nature, Nature Magic, Yang Jeongin | I.N-centric, changeling jeongin, fae jeongin, faery jeongin, gotta tag em all, hyunin if you squint rlly hard, mage woojin, selkie hyunjin, shhhh fae folk have so many names, still idolverse though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 19:59:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18431054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heres_ur_ramen/pseuds/heres_ur_ramen
Summary: Hyunjin, being a selkie, never appreciated the forest. That said, being friends with a faery can change a person's mind about these things.One trip past an emerald forest has Jeongin in his element, and Hyunjin out of his.





	As a Selkie Loves the Sea, A Faery Loves the Forest

“Oh, wow,” Jeongin breathed. “It’s beautiful.” Hyunjin followed his gaze, stopping at the edge of the forest. Impressive oak and birch trees rose up even in the outskirts, their thick trunks hiding each other from view. 

“I’ll be back soon,” Jeongin announced matter-of-factly, before dashing into the greenery. 

“Wait, wait, don’t leave!” Hyunjin cried. “You’ll get lost! No, _I’ll_ get lost! Hey!” But Jeongin was already gone, his bare feet rustling the undergrowth. “Damn it,” Hyunjin muttered, pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders, before running headfirst after him. 

He whacked into a vine-choked bush almost immediately, lacking the younger’s innate sense of direction and forest-faring skills. He brushed himself off quickly and found a path inwards, moving slower this time. Within moments, he was completely enveloped by the forest. 

The selkie couldn’t help looking around in awe. Oak canopies spread out above, dappling the undergrowth with dark shadows that were broken up by the occasional spotlight of brilliant sunshine. Ferns and poison oak carpeted the ground above a layer of fallen leaves and bare dirt, with vines snaking up and around the bottoms of tree trunks. Spotting the poison oak, Hyunjin thanked the sea gods that he wore jeans today. 

He was walking now, helplessly wandering and listening to the life blooming around him. A bird chirped loudly on his left. It was answered moments later by another somewhere far ahead of him. He followed it mindlessly. Something rustled underneath him, before bolting away, and he swore it was a jackalope; but those were rare in Korea, so perhaps it was just a rabbit. 

The plants seemed to cling to his legs as he struggled through, but he pushed forward. He wondered how Jeongin moved so quickly through this terrain. Was his faery advantage that strong? And barefoot, too. What a crazy kid. 

Eventually, Hyunjin glimpsed something dark-blue through the trees, a color that was surely Jeongin’s shirt. He considered yelling, but bit his tongue and thrashed his way through the vines and onto mossy ground. A creek cut through stone in front of him, surrounded by small, lush greenery and mushrooms. Finally, water, the selkie thought gratefully. 

Jeongin looked up from where he was sitting on a large, smooth rock. 

“Oh, you followed me?” he asked innocently. “Come sit down, the water’s nice.” As if to prove his point, he swung his bare feet, splashing through the running stream.

Hyunjin sighed, admitting, “it does look nice.” He carefully crossed the wet, mossy stones and joined the faery on his rock. He removed his own shoes and dipped them in the creek, relishing the feeling of freezing water in his skin. It wasn’t deep enough to swim in, even as a seal, so he kept his coat wrapped tightly around him. 

Some part of Hyunjin felt like he ought to berate the younger over disappearing so suddenly, and not listening to his hyung, but with the sounds of the forest all around and the sun on his back, he found it hard to be angry. The forest was like Jeongin’s second home. He was sure that a faery loved the forest as much as a selkie loved the sea. So instead, he hushed up and let Jeongin tell him about the different kinds of mushrooms growing next to him. The faery took note of what magical properties they had, and wondered if they should bring some back for Woojin? Hyunjin said that the mage would like that, and made a pocket on the inside of his coat. He generously let Jeongin fill it with mushrooms, being careful to only take a few. 

“They have to grow back again,” he explained softly. “I can’t help them grow until they start on their own, so we have to leave a lot.” Hyunjin smiled softly and agreed. 

They left when the sunset began to stain the leaves orange above their heads, making the creek glisten and shine. Jeongin guided Hyunjin back along a poison-oak-free path, bringing him back to the real world and reminding him to put his shoes back on. Hyunjin was surprised that he’d walked back barefoot without noticing. 

He supposed that the beauty of the forest had distracted him.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm almost done with my notes for skz monster au, so until then, have a little oneshot that I wrote to de-stress. 
> 
> More chapters may be added so keep an eye out ;)


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